file server for home

[Dustin Decker]

On Mon, 31 Dec 2001, Brian Densmore wrote:

> > > SCSI is not that much more expensive than ATAPI.
> >
> > Hogwash! You can get an 80GB 7200rpm UltraDMA100 (or
> > UltraDMA133 I think it is
> > now) for $160
> >
> > The same size for an Ultra160 SCSI version will cost you $500
> > (Going off prices
> > from www.pricewatch.com)
> 37 GB IBM Ultrastar SCSI $159 15K RPM
> 40 GB Maxtor $85 7200 RPM
>
> 2x speed 2x price. From pricewatch. To me that is comparable prices. Of
> course there might be a cheaper model at 7200 (I didn't see any, but I
> do have prejudices against certain manufacturers)

It's quite obvious that the numbers you're using to substantiate SCSI as
being as cheap as ATA/IDE are showing nearly 2X higher cost for SCSI in
the total disk space department.

You're comparing a 37 and 40 Gigabyte SCSI drive price with that of 80
Gigabytes IDE.  The truth is, the numbers for even the ATA100 at 80
Gigabytes are high.  Right here in Overland Park you can pick up 40GB
drives for $95.00, and 80GB would be something like $140.00.

You are again forgetting to factor in the cost of a decent SCSI
controller too.  If you buy a whiz-bang drive(s), better give it(them) a
whiz-bang controller too.

> Also there may be a widening gap as size increases. I don't really watch
> it that closely. So if I seem ignorant please forgive me, but this is
> the way I see it. My own SCSI system (not in use right now) is used
> primarily for airfoil design (aka 3d modeling) and makes extensive reads
> and writes to the disk. So I can notice the speed differences between
> 7200 RPM and 15K RPM.

Let's also remember for the sake of disagreement that SCSI offers other
features that you don't get with IDE, such as sequential access.  If the
7200 to 15K RPM differences you have expereinced were merely between oh
let's say 7200 RPM IDE drives and a 15K RPM SCSI drive then I would
expect the performance increase you feel is the result of this, not so
much the 15K RPM issue.  (Although _obviously_ this helps out, and I'm
merely assuming you have done what I said - which could be utter BS.)

Want kick ass performance?  Check out the new Ultra 320 SCSI drives.
(And I thought my Ultra160's were hot!) Now you're talking about some
serious jack...  it is indeed quite nice to get your employer to foot
the bill when most of this stuff is a paycheck or two for most folks.

Dustin Decker

-- 
"Every now and then, when your life gets complicated and the weasels start
closing in, the only cure is to load up on heinous chemicals and then
drive like a bastard from Hollywood to Las Vegas ... with the music at top
volume and at least a pint of ether."
-- Hunter S. Thompson, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas"